She smiled. “Thank you.”
With that she drew her head back butting it into his, which knocked him out cold.
She dropped his hand, then turned to face the bartender Gilbert as he looked at her in silence. Meanwhile, the men who’d sat down quickly rushed forward to grab their boss and pull his unconscious form away. She replaced the knife inside her coat. “Now, about that drink. I want something smooth, how about some whisky?”
“Y-yes, right away.” Stuttering in fear, Gilbert quickly poured her drink. Lanias spent the time looking around the bar at the locals.
“Is there a regular who comes here named Stanthos?” she asked, facing the bartender once more.
His brow creased. “And what are you wanting with him?”
“Ah, ah. You’re not the one asking questions,” she said, picking up her drink and taking a sip. “Does he come here or not?”
“He was just here a few minutes ago,” one of the drunks answered, seeing as Gilbert seemed unwilling to expose his friend.
“Dammit, Eddy.” Gilbert Said.
Without a word Lanias ran back out of the bar. She searched the parking lot once more. Earlier she’d counted ten bikes and five vehicles when she entered now there were only four.
“Dammit.”
She ran over to one of the bikes, and with a muttered spell she started it as she hopped on. The tires squealed as she sped out of the parking lot in chase.
She should have gone to his house first, but her instinct told her he wouldn’t be there. She’d planned on catching him off guard here at the bar. But it looked like he’d slipped through her fingers.
She pressed two fingers to her lips and whistled envisioning the address.
Anyone within a fifty-mile radius with the same address in mind would be tracked by her. A long string escaped from between her fingers and twirled in the air before the end shot off, and like a bow string being pulled taught, it tightened in thin air.
Following it, Lanias kicked her motorcycle into high gear. She was so focused on catching up with Stanthos that when she came upon a car engulfed in flames she was struck dumb. Stopping the bike, she quickly hopped off not caring if the bike hit the ground.
Running toward the fire, she brought her hands together. The black light in her hands spun before it turned blue and bright. The wind around her rushed upwards. She felt her magic core tighten in protest and shudder. Green magic was always difficult for her to use. The wind slashed at her cheeks as rainwater slowly began to fall.
Pulling her hands apart, she felt the rain grow heavier as it started to fall harder.
“Stanthos!” she shouted as she ran toward the car. She could see his body leaning over the wheel. “Stanthos.”
Just as she drew close enough to see the blood on his head, she felt herself blown back as a bright orange light fell from above. The air and the rain came to a halt, and Lanias felt her body rise up into the air before another force blew her back. She tried to use her black magic to catch herself, luckily, she succeeded and harnessed herself to the ground with her roots.
Raising her arms up, she blocked the debris that came flying in her direction. Her eyes squinted, but as she slowly opened them, she spotted someone dragging Stanthos from the wreck. Quickly recognizing the symbols exposed upon the chest of that being, Lanias suddenly thought of Legolas.
Feeling the force blowing in her direction lessen, she took chase.
“Who are you?” she demanded glaring at the being as she let her magic rise and swirl in the air. “I need him, so be a dear and put him down.”
The being didn’t move at her command. It still held Stanthos in its arms like a rag doll. She unsheathed her blade, “Hey, I don’t know if you know this, but I hate being ignored.”
She attacked, throwing her magic like a whip at the being.
Only to be surprised when the being caught it with its free hand. It slowly turned to face her. For the first time, Lanias felt fear. Her breath seized as the being tossed Stanthos away like a bug, his body hitting a tree so hard she recoiled at the sound of bones breaking.
“You smell.” Was all it said before it moved toward her, its hand drawn back. Lights sparked around it like electricity, its speed beyond common sense.
She had barely lifted her arms in time to block the attack.
Biting back the scream of pain she wanted to release as her bones shattered. Her body flew back, spinning like a top. Two hands gently caught her in midair and set her back down on her feet. Lanias bent over and retched.
Her arms were on fire, and her hands trembled.
